Inside the Obama bubble: Images from the final week of the campaigns

From CNN Politics

Updated 0021 GMT (0821 HKT) November 5, 2012

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Inside the Obama bubble – President Barack Obama convenes a conference call to discuss the response to Hurricane Sandy in his office aboard Air Force One during the flight to New Hamsphire on Oct. 27, 2012.

Hide Caption

1 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Saturday, Oct. 27: Nashua – Obama holds backstage with Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, and traveling aide Bobby Schmuck prior to an event at the Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Oct. 27, 2012.

Hide Caption

2 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Saturday, Oct. 27: Nashua – Obama has lunch following an event at the Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Oct. 27, 2012.

Hide Caption

3 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Sunday, Oct. 28: The White House – Obama walks with daughters Sasha, right, and Malia, center, and Kaye Wilson as they return to the White House from St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington on Oct. 28, 2012.

Monday, Oct. 29: The White House – After cancelling an appearance at a campaign event in order to return to Washington to monitor the response to Hurricane Sandy, Obama arrives at the White House on Oct. 29, 2012.

Hide Caption

7 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Monday, Oct. 29: The White House – Obama receives an update on the response to Hurricane Sandy in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 29 2012.

Hide Caption

8 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Tuesday, Oct. 30: The White House – Obama receives an update from officials on the response to Hurricane Sandy in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 30, 2012.

Hide Caption

9 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Tuesday, Oct. 30: The White House – Obama discusses the response to Hurricane Sandy by phone with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, while Alyssa Mastromonaco, the Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Operations, sits at right in the Oval Office on Oct. 30, 2012.

Hide Caption

10 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Tuesday, Oct. 30: The White House – Obama receives an update on the Hurricane Sandy response in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 30, 2012.

Hide Caption

11 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Tuesday, Oct. 30: Washington – Obama "tweets" a thank you message to people making donations to the Red Cross during his visit to the Disaster Operation Center of the Red Cross at national headquarters in Washington on Oct. 30, 2012.

Hide Caption

12 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Wednesday, Oct. 31: Marine One – Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie look at storm damage along the coast of New Jersey on Marine One on Oct. 31, 2012.

Hide Caption

13 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Wednesday, Oct. 31: Brigantine – Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talk with local residents at the Brigantine Beach Community Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012.

Hide Caption

14 of 17

Photos:Inside the Obama bubble

Wednesday, Oct. 31: Brigantine – Obama hugs Donna Vanzant, the owner of North Point Marina, as he tours damage from Hurricane Sandy in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012.

Story highlights

CNN asked each campaign to submit photos from the final week before Election Day

Pete Souza is President Barack Obama's Chief Official White House photographer and was a White House photographer during Ronald Reagan's second term

Many of these photographs are exclusive to CNN

As President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney crisscrossed the country during the final week of the 2012 presidential campaign, few people were able to see the candidates in their most candid and unguarded moments, except for their personal photographers.

Several weeks ago, CNN invited each campaign team to submit images from the last week of the race, from Friday, Oct. 26 through Saturday, Nov. 3.

Little did anyone know that the last week would be dominated not by last-minute stops in swing states or wall-to-wall speeches to rally the party faithful, but rather one story: Superstorm Sandy.

Here are images, many provided exclusively to CNN by the Obama campaign and The White House, displayed in chronological order and shot by photographer Pete Souza.

Souza, who is Chief Official White House photographer and Director of the White House Photography Office, has been at Obama's side since before he was elected president in 2008 and was a White House photographer during Ronald Reagan's second term.